the troubles and joys of owning a cat
by bfcat
Summary: A story about Albedo, Gaignun, and jr. in the past. (Up to when they were 5 years old all the way to them seeing the reamins of the Woglinde.) Takes place after ep.1 on 2nd Miltia, and Miltia.
1. in the beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Xenosaga, and it won't change throughout the story so I'm writing it once.  
  
A/N: This is my first multi-chapter non-crossover story. The idea just kinda came to me, and at first I was gonna' make into a parody type fanfic, but, I thought against it, and this is what I got! I'm not gonna' ask you to go easy on me or anything, but I hope to get reviews telling me if you like it or not. I'm eager to see! ^_^ oh, and this story takes place after Ep.1 on 2nd Miltia.  
  
"Wow, Jr. look at this!" MOMO said with a smile as she pointed to the small yellow flower growing in the cracks between the sidewalks. Jr. grinned at her.  
  
"Yeah, you never really see those around the foundation. Natural flowers are usually on planets. Synthetic things are always 2nd best compared to the original or natural things, don't you think?" He said, not thinking about his words. MOMO looked up from the flower at gazed at him, a hurt look in her eyes.  
  
"Do you mean that?" she asked. Jr. was about to nod, when he realized what he just said.  
  
"Errr....What I meant to say was synthetic Flowers! Not people, Shion is right about synthetic people, they're just the same as normal people!" Jr. hastily corrected himself. MOMO looked to the ground, the flower forgotten.  
  
"But then...why do people refer to us as realians?" she asked. The red head mentally beat the crap out of himself.  
  
"....I'm sorry, MOMO. I wasn't thinking about what I was saying." Jr. apologized with a tinge of pleading in his voice. MOMO's sad gaze at the ground never faltered.  
  
"....But Jr., you said it! Does that mean..you really believe that?" she softly asked. Jr. rapidly shook his head.  
  
"No, no, no, NO! That was just me running my big mouth without thinking! I don't believe that!...Do you think we would...rescue someone who we thought of....as an object? Shion, Tony, Ziggy, KOS-MOS, Hammer, chaos..hell even Matthews, we all helped save you from Albedo, because we thought of you as a person!" he said. MOMO slowly looked up at him, her eyes shining with hope.  
  
"...You mean it?" she asked. Jr. nodded, his face was solemn. Finally, she gave him a small smile, "Thank you, Jr.," she said. He just let out a small laugh.  
  
"No problem, but, now what do you wanna' do?" he asked. MOMO got a thoughtful expression on her face as she thought about it.  
  
"....Let's go back to Jin-san's!" MOMO suggested. Jr. shrugged and waved his hands around, trying to get a taxi while MOMO eyes him strangely. She gave him a curious look.  
  
"Jr. why are you waving your hands around like that?" she asked with s small giggle. Jr. sweat dropped.  
  
"Uhh...This is how you try and get a TAXI!!!" Jr. yelled as he saw a yellow car head towards them. The driver stopped and gave the two a skeptic glare.  
  
"..You got money?" he gruffly asked. MOMO shook her head while Jr. checked his pockets and paled.  
  
"....Aw shit, I don't have enough.... I spent it all on that movie.(1) " He muttered. The driver shot them a withering glare at them.  
  
"Don't stop me if you ain't got no cash! Stupid kids..." He muttered as he drove off. Jr. scowled at the yellow car as it drove off, then gave MOMO an apologetic grin.  
  
"Sorry, MOMO, but, I still have enough to call Shion back at Jin's to give us a ride back," He said.  
  
"Ok, I sense the nearest payphone is that way." MOMO said as she pointed to her left. Jr. nodded and the two headed towards the pointed direction.  
  
".....Uh huh...I promise....no shooting people got it, Allen," Jr. sarcastically said over the phone, "....Alright, thanks." He hung it up and sighed.  
  
"Shion said she'd be here in an hour. Apparently Jin's car broke down earlier." Jr. explained. MOMO just shrugged.  
  
"It's ok." She said as she sat down on the curb of the road. Jr. sighed and sat down as well, next to MOMO.  
  
"...mrow." a small voice said. Jr. and MOMO turned around in surprise, to see a small white cat with brown spots behind them.  
  
"Awwww...It's so cute! What is it, Jr.?" MOMO cooed as she picked it up and petted it.  
  
"....a...cat." He answered. MOMO stopped adoring the cat and gave the strangely solemn Jr. a worried glance.  
  
"...What's wrong, Jr?" she asked. Jr. just shrugged it off.  
  
"Nothing!" he said with a fake grin. MOMO still looked at him worriedly.  
  
"You're lying." She accused, "Please, tell me," she pleaded. Jr. looked up at the stars, and sighed.  
  
"It's a long story." He replied.  
  
"So? I always bother you with my stories of daddy and the demons of my past. Please, Jr. Let me help." She said. The cat hopped out of MOMO's arm and started rubbing it's head against MOMO's leg, begging for more petting.  
  
"What? Bother me? MOMO, you've had a hard life, it's good to let it out." Jr. said, then, he sweat dropped when he realized what he said, "I really need to learn how to keep my mouth shut." He muttered to himself.  
  
"See? Please, tell me!" Jr. scowled, but gave in.  
  
"...Alright." he reluctantly said. MOMO grinned and picked up the cat, gently petting it again.  
  
"...That cat...looks like the cat me and Gaignun used to take care of when we were...younger. Before the Miltian Conflict, before Albedo went insane. The three of us, Albedo, Gaignun or Nigredo, and me were best friends. We were inseparable at the time, and we lived on Miltia. Anyways, it all started when..." Jr. began.  
  
"NIGREDO!!! C'mon! Live a little, please!!" Rubedo begged as his friend just went on reading under the shade of a giant oak tree. Nigredo shook his head.  
  
"Nope, why don't you guys go wander around the city alone and let me read in peace?" Nigredo asked. Rubedo rolled his eyes.  
  
"Because, it's so boring without all three of us at the city! Besides, I like reading too, but, come on! Being cooped up in this crappy yard that's outside the even crappier house/lab is so...boring and annoying!" the red head explained. Albedo scowled.  
  
"Nuh-uh! It's much more fun without Nigredo the book worm while we're in the city! All he does is walk around doing nothing!" Albedo said.  
  
"See? Now then, go on and leave me alone!" Nigredo growled. Rubedo shot an annoyed glare to a now grinning Albedo.  
  
".....Ya' Sure?" he asked in a last ditch effort. The navy blue haired U.R.T.V. glared at him again, "....Fine." Rubedo sighed as he and Albedo left the yard towards the Miltia city.  
  
"Geez, why do we have to walk everywhere?" Albedo whined as they were almost at the city. Rubedo shrugged.  
  
"The professor to busy trying to do more experiments on the others to drive us anywhere." Albedo scowled.  
  
"Why does he experiment on us and the others? I mean, we're just mutated clones or something like that, right?" Albedo asked. Rubedo sighed.  
  
"Only the professor knows why he works like a madman just to 'upgrade' the others and us...for whatever reasons. I just think he wants to see how long his experiments can live before they die of old age or whatever. Anyways, got those mini-mines?" Rubedo asked with a malicious grin. Albedo smirked and reached into his pocket to pull out a small bundle of little round metal discs.  
  
"Right here."  
  
A/N: This will probably go through all of Jr.'s past to after Nigredo and him change their names and jr. starts looking for the Zohars..so it'll basically end right up to the point of them finding the Woglinde. Please R &R!!  
  
I was basing 2nd Miltia's economy on Japan's. So, movie tickets are like 20 bucks each at the least, and, I doubt Jr. walks around with a lot of money everyday. I think he'd only do it if he needed to buy something REALLY expensive...like an A.G.W.S. or something. 


	2. beliefs

A/N: wow, I actually A review! *Softly sobs in the background* Thank you to the anonymous reviewer known as Razzy. Ü Anyways, here's the next chapter.

            Jr. let out a mischievous grin as Albedo showed him the small metallic mini-mines. 

            "Good, let's go ahead and…….do the mail boxes, no use in doing anything major, right?" Rubedo suggested. Albedo just got a bored look on his face.

            "But, that's what we _always _do!" Then he suddenly grinned, "Let's try something different,……let's try something….I dunno, not to big, but not to small. Like…….uh…..oh! We could plant them in someone's car!" The white haired U.R.T.V. said with a now malicious grin on his face. Rubedo seemed a bit unsure about this.

            "I dunno', Albedo, I mean, I'm willing to have some fun with some _minor _pranks, but, a car? What if it goes 'BOOM' while _a_ person or even worse _people_ are in it? I mean, sure these guys (the mines) don't pack much of a punch, but, it does pack enough to do some serious damage to people, and I'm not including the whole situation of what if the car catches fire and explodes." Albedo just scowled.

            "Fine, we can do the same old same old," He muttered, Rubedo got a slightly relieved look on his face before Albedo continued, "but why should _we_ care if people get hurt, it's just a bunch of stupid humans! It's not like _they've_ ever done this planet or _us_ any good!" Albedo hissed. 

            "Uhh……Well, the _professor_ did _make_ us, and he _is_ human, right?" Rubedo pointed out. Albedo just arrogantly turned his head away from his friend.

            "The professor?! All that old coot did was give Nigredo some books, and created us to do nothing except rot on this god forsaken planet!" Albedo exclaimed, "Geez, let's go….." he muttered as he walked away, stuffing the mines back into his pocket, and leaving Rubedo just standing there in surprise. 

            "Wait, Albedo, where are you going?!" Rubedo demanded as he ran to catch up with the aggravated Albedo who was now heading deeper into the city. He just snorted and waited for Rubedo to catch up.

            "I don't get it!" He said once Rubedo caught up, "Why do _we_ bother with _any_ of these people? You saw the loads of guns the professor keeps for whatever reasons! We could just take the guns and get rid of anybody who gets on our nerves _including_ the professor!" Rubedo seemed very uncomfortable with the way this conversation was going, but Albedo didn't notice, "Why should we have to do anything for those idiot humans?! I mean, look at them!" Albedo viperously said glaring at the little girl throwing a tenter-tantrum because her mom didn't buy her some toy while Rubedo gave him a slightly worried look, "They're nothing more than sniveling cowardice _idiots_! It makes me ashamed to think I was _created_ by one!" He said with disgust. He then turned to Rubedo, who now had an oddly blank face.

            "……Albedo," He started calmly, "Where did this sudden……resentment and disgust for mankind come from?" he slowly finished while fixing Albedo with an intense gaze, as if he was trying to bore down and peer into Albedo's currently black soul. 

            "……Who said I just _started_ feeling like this?" Albedo asked after a moment of tense silence, then, before Rubedo could comment, he turned around and ran back towards the field that held the lab. 

            "……." Rubedo let out a regretful sigh and gave a sad glance to the now crimson dusk sky before he walked back to the lab, not bothering to catch up with Albedo.

            "Ah, Nigredo, there you are!" a kind old man said as he gazed fondly at the small 5 year old boy contently reading a ridiculously thick book. Nigredo gave the professor with the messy mop of black hair, with thin streaks of grey hair, and thin-rimmed glasses a brief glance of acknowledgment before he dove his nose back into his book.

            "Something you need, professor?" he mumbled, his eyes not straying from the pages of his book. 

            "Yes, it's time for dinner, and do you know where Rubedo and Albedo are?" he asked. Nigredo shrugged, he couldn't care less where they were.

            "I think they're still trying to play pranks in the city. They should be back soon, I expect." He said in a dull tone of voice. The professor got a slightly surprised look on his face.

            "When did they leave to the city? And what pranks?" he asked. Nigredo sighed and rolled his eyes.

            "They left while you were doing more tests, and they always do pranks when they get there, you've just never noticed because they've always got back from the city before you're done with the tests." Nigredo explained, "You'd notice these things if you actually didn't live in that lab, ya' know." He said in a cynical tone of voice, while still absent-mindedly reading his book.  

            "…….Right, ummm……..let's wait for them to come back, then, we'll have dinner." He mumbled, "…Uhh…..I gotta' go feed the others…...right…..too." He quickly left the dimly lit room Nigredo always read in once it got dark. 

            "Geez, some thing's never change."  

            Albedo angrily stomped into the lab, half expecting the professor to actually be there standing and ready to give him some kind of a pointless lecture. 

            "Figures…." He snarled to himself as he headed down the empty hallway towards the room he had to share with Nigredo and Rubedo. Nigredo looked up from his book as he saw the angered and annoyed Albedo stomp past the room he was in and head towards their room.

            "……Where's Rubedo?" he muttered as he curiously peeked out the door, after he heard Albedo slam the door shut, towards the desolate hallway, expecting Rubedo to pop out of nowhere with the usual goofy grin plastered on his face. Instead, he saw the person he _least_ expected to see…….the _professor_. _'Is he going on a guilt trip or what?! I didn't think my comment would have that much of an affect…….I didn't think he was even listening!' _Nigredo thought to himself as he quickly removed his head from the hallway before the professor spotted them and pretended to be reading his book, again. The professor headed straight towards their room without a glance towards Nigredo, and, to his and Nigredo's surprise, his mouth pressed into a thin line of stern determination. Once the professor knocked on their door, Nigredo cautiously peeked his head out again to see how Albedo would react. Nigredo couldn't help but quietly snicker as he thought about Albedo's reaction. To the professor's and his dismay, Albedo didn't even open the door. With an annoyed sigh, and Nigredo even more surprised about the professor showing an emotion other than grins and fascination, he knocked on the door again, slightly louder than last time. 

            "Albedo, Rubedo, I _know_ you two are in there." He said as he continued to knock. 

            "………_You_ don't _know_ anything." Came Albedo's muffled reply. Nigredo and the professor were both surprised by the bitterness in Albedo's voice. _'What's eating him?' _Nigredo thought to himself as he continued to watch in interest, not noticing the entrance door softly open and close. 

A/N: Aww…..poor everyone. This is a strange out take of their life, ne? Atleast I think so, and I haven't even gotten to Gaignun, the cat not the person…..er….U.R.T.V. or whatever. ^_^;; Anyways, please R&R!! 


	3. explanations and a request

A/N:this one got more than one review, alright! ^_^ I know this story is kinda' slow, but, I assure you, the action and stuff will come soon. Thanks!  
  
  
  
The Professor grimaced at Albedo's bitter reply.  
  
  
  
"...Albedo, Rubedo, I know I haven't really..talk with you two much,..hell, I haven't really talked with Nigredo much either. Come on, let's take this time to talk, alright?" the professor tried to persuade him.  
  
  
  
"..Nigredo?" the said U.R.T.V. jumped, before he quickly looked behind him, where the voice came from.  
  
  
  
"Rubedo? Why weren't you with Albedo?" Nigredo asked in a low whisper. Rubedo just shrugged, a bit uneasy about the question.  
  
  
  
"Long story, why does the professor think I'm with Albedo right now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he saw the professor continue to try and persuade Albedo and "Rubedo" to talk.  
  
  
  
"Well, uhh." Nigredo looked away, "I kinda' told him about the pranks you guys play, and I sent him on a guilt trip.in a way. I'm pretty sure he got my hint of 'you never really have paid attention to us'."  
  
  
  
"..Oh..Well, I better tell the professor where I am..." he flashed Nigredo a reassuring grin, "Got a prepare for the worse right?"  
  
"I'm sorry for telling him." Nigredo blurted out as he looked at the ground, ashamed.  
  
  
  
"Ah, don't worry about it. It just might've done some good.." His head snapped back up as he looked at Rubedo in confusion.  
  
  
  
"Huh?"  
  
  
  
"Nothin!" he quickly said as he waved his hand dismissively, "Wish me luck," and with that, Rubedo walked towards the professor.  
  
  
  
"Uhh...professor, I'm right here.." Rubedo informed him as he stopped about 2 feet away from the professor's kneeling form. He immediately looked at Rubedo in confusion and surprise.  
  
  
  
"Rubedo?! But...shouldn't you be with Albedo?" the red head shook his head.  
  
  
  
"We uhh...left at different times, that's all." Nigredo narrowed his eyes at his friend.  
  
"He's lying.." He murmured to himself. The professor just gave Rubedo a meaningful glance before turning his attention back to the door in front of him.  
  
  
  
"Rubedo, go get Nigredo and come back here, I need to talk with you 3." Rubedo just mutely nodded, slightly..worried by the sudden tenseness in the air.  
  
  
  
"..R-right." He muttered as he quickly walked to the room Nigredo was hiding in. Nigredo stepped out before Rubedo got there obviously as confused about the professor's serious mood as Rubedo. Nigredo quietly walked towards Rubedo, who silently waited for him to catch up before the two just walked towards the professor.  
  
  
  
"Uhh..Professor? Nirgredo's here." he looked up at the two.  
  
  
  
"That was quick," he muttered under his breath. Finally, he knocked on the door again.  
  
  
  
"Albedo, open this door!" he sternly commanded...nothing. Nirgredo decided to step up.  
  
  
  
"Can we try?" Nigredo asked. The professor nodded and backed away from the door, letting the two friends try to coax Albedo out of the room.  
  
  
  
"Albedo, come on, you don't wanna' be copped up in that room for long, do you? I mean, aren't you hungry..or something?" Nigredo asked.  
  
  
  
"Go away, bookworm," Albedo growled.  
  
  
  
"...Albedo, come on, they're just trying to help. I mean, the guy's trying to actually talk to us..for once," the professor got a guilty look on his face, but Rubedo continued, " Once you get out, we can eat! And uhh...I dunno', do whatever you want to...besides blowing up people's cars of course!" Nigredo amd the professor shot a nervous Rubedo confused looks. 'Blowing up people's cars? What the hell?' Nigredo thought to himself, "So, uhh...just come out, please?!" Rubedo begged with a hint of desperation.  
  
  
  
"....Rubedo, what's wrong? You seem kind of..." The professor trailed off, not sure what to say, after all, he never really had spent much time with them.  
  
  
  
"..Hysteric." Nigredo finished with a concerned look towards his friend. The red haired boy just ignored him and went on, "Albedo!!! Get.out...NOW!!! Please!! I mean, the professor wants to talk with us...for a change!!" he fervently tried to persuade.  
  
  
  
"...You can talk to me from out there." Albedo replied, "You guys have already proved that you can, so, talk, professor." He seemed a bit taken back by the request, but complied with it anyways.  
  
  
  
"Ok, Well, I know, I haven't spent much time with the three of you, and I'm sorry," he began, but was interrupted by a snort from the three U.R.T.V.'s room and grumble of "yeah right", but, the professor just took it in stride and went on, "I have a reason though. I'm sure, you three are wondering, why did I make you, 5 years back? What are you? What are your purposes? Well-"  
  
  
  
"Uhh...actually, we already know what we are. We're U.R.T.V.'s right? We don't what it is we were built though, but we know we know we aren't human, and shouldn't be capable of thoughts, free will, emotions, and shit like that," Nigredo sheepishly informed him.  
  
  
  
"We snuck into your office last year out of sheer boredom and read the file on us," Rubedo explained upon seeing the perplexed expression on the professor's face.  
  
  
  
"..I see, well, I'm afraid you mis-read it than. You three are able to the things you mentioned, just not your brothers, or the other U.R.T.V.s, you all are.special...but before you ask, no, I can't tell you all yet. I can't tell you all anything..yet, but, when you get older, I will. I promise, but, in order to.prepare you three for the truth...I'm gonna' put you all in training." He slowly explained. Slowly, the door infront of them opened, revealing a very intrigued Albedo.  
  
  
  
"Training?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. The professor nodded.  
  
  
  
"Yes..since you all have been..having frequent visits to the city now, I'm sure you all know what the military is, right?" they nodded.  
  
  
  
".Yeah, I bombed a military man's mail box last month," Nigredo added, "..OW!!" he suddenly yelped as Rubedo roughly elbowed him in the ribs, then faced the surprised professor with a nervous grin while Nigredo rubbed his ribs with a painful grimace, "That hurt." he grumbled as shot Rubedo a glare.  
  
  
  
"..eh heh heh heh heh to bad," he grumbled back with the nervous smile still plastered to his face while Albedo and the professor watched the two's antics with amusement.  
  
  
  
"Well, anyways, I'm going to be putting you under similar training, though, not as rough. Shooting simulations and so on. Worse case scenarios and the such, and it's all for the future to come, will you three accept it?"  
  
  
  
"...Do we have a choice?" Albedo replied with a bitter question.  
  
  
  
"..yes...no," he muttered as he looked down, then, he looked back up at the three, a pleading look in his eyes, "I know, this may seem cruel, but, please, it's for your own good. So, you have to do the training, whether you agree or not."  
  
  
  
"...I'll.do it," Nigredo hesitantly agreed.  
  
  
  
"..Alright," Rubedo joined. The three turned to Albedo, who looked like he rather die than follow this man's plead.  
  
  
  
"..Hmph, fine, but only because weapons are involved." He grumbled. The intense relief couldn't be missed on the professor's face.  
  
  
  
"Thank you, you three, I'm glad you understand. Maybe, we can get to know each other better, ne?" he fondly said.  
  
  
  
"..Sure, whatever, have you guy's eaten yet? I'm starvin'!" Rubedo said with a big grin, trying to his small discomfort in the whole situation. The other two U.R.T.V.'s instantly agreed, glad to change the subject.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, 'nother chapter done! Please, R&R, thanks! 


	4. the training begins

A/N: I'm updating again! Sorry for taking so long, I've been in a kind of….writing slump, so to get rid of it…I'm writing. ^_^;; I've been a bit busy as well, with school and shit. :P So, my updates are probably gonna' be less frequent…but I don't plan on canceling any of the fanfics I have up! So, here's the next chapter, and I'm gonna' _try _and make this chapter longer than usual, if my slump will let me and leave me alone. -_-

            "Rubedo, you're supposed to _hit _the target!" Albedo teasingly exclaimed as Rubedo aimed his gun, fired, and missed the target. He scowled at the gun in his hands before he aimed again. He narrowed his eyes at the target, concentrating all his energy into hitting it, and fired. It's been two years since the professor had first mentioned the training, but it wasn't until now that the professor actually got around to doing the training. Apparently he was too busy tuning up other experiments, including their "brothers" who they had yet to meet, and he also had to make the training areas. Much to the three's disappointment, the professor made them help him during that little project of making the extra training rooms. But now, they had finally started! (And about time too.)

            "Hey, what do ya' know?! The Bookworm's actually good at something other than reading!" Albedo cheered as the navy blue headed U.R.T.V. managed to get another bulls-eye. Nigredo just grinned, already used to the name "Bookworm" from Albedo, and turned to Rubedo, who sighed and hung his head low in embarrassment. He had missed again. Albedo couldn't help but snicker at the unfortunate red head, but quickly stopped when the professor entered the small training room. The room was you average shooting range. Multiple rows of tan stalls with each target, a gun, and headphones to lesson the noise, of course, the three U.R.T.V.s didn't bother to put them on, but overall, the room was lacking in the department of originality, 

            "I'm glad to see you guys are training so hard," he remarked as he walked up to them. Then, he took a look at the targets, and was overall pleased. Jr. had missed all except 1, which Albedo claimed that that one was a fluke, Albedo missed 5 out of 10, and Nigredo had missed a whopping 2 out of 10. 

            "Alright, for starting out these scores are very good, but we still need practice. When you three are done with this training, you'll be making bulls-eyes every time with your eyes closed." 

"Sure, if the target is right in front of me I will…" Rubedo muttered under his breath. The other two quietly snickered at the comment, while the professor continued on, ignoring the red head's comment.

"..Now then, we also need to start on strategy, and not just any strategy, but…. war strategy, or battle strategy." He announced, "and because of that, we'll start with the history of war, so we can get a feel of how a battle and how war works. Now then, the _library_ is this way…" Albedo and Rubedo both let out a groan of dismay while Nigredo grinned. 

            "This training isn't so bad…" Nigredo remarked as they headed towards the library. Albedo and Jr. both glared at the smug Nigredo, while the professor just hummed a tune to himself, completely oblivious to their conversation. 

            "This training is hell…." Albedo grumbled under his breath, Rubedo nodded in agreement. 

             "I know you three have an amazing intelligence for your age, after all, I _was _the one who planted that intelligence in you," the three rolled their eyes at the obvious pride the professor had as he stated this, "but it's best that we harness that intelligence, for future reference." He opened the door to the library and gestured to a small table with four chairs that lay amongst the shelves of books surrounding the table. As the three took a seat, Rubedo and Albedo eyed the thick brown covered book in front of each of them with annoyance. 

            "Do they really need to be this thick?" Rubedo asked as he flipped to the back of the book to see how many pages there were. Albedo on the other hand went for something more….easy, he simply grabbed a stapler that was on the table and compared it to the weight of the book by using his arms as a balance. The professor continued on with his lecture, and much to Nigredo's amusement, the professor's right eye had started to twitch.

            "Mankind has an _interesting,_" he stressed the word "interesting" as he yanked the stapler from Albedo's hand, ", _rich,_" he silenced Nigredo's snickering by shooting a glare at him," and _big_" he fixed Jr. with a stern look that motivated Jr. to put down the book and listen, " history, that yes, the books need to be thick to tell at least of half of it," Albedo and Jr. both slumped into their chairs, a bored look on their face, didn't look like this part of the training was gonna' end anytime soon, "now then, let's start at chapter one…" 

            "….That was the most _boring_ thing I've ever done…..and I'm gonna' have to sit through it again _tomorrow!!_" Rubedo complained as they left the library a few hours later. Albedo grunted in agreement while Nigredo shrugged.

            "I thought it was fun." Albedo shot him a deadpan look.

            "That's because you're…._ Bookworm_, boring stuff is your idea of…non boring." Nigredo scowled in response and stuck his tongue out at Albedo while Rubedo snickered.

            "How about….we go to the city! To celebrate the fact we didn't fall asleep through it all! I mean, it's still early, around 3(PM), so we got plenty of time before it gets dark!" Jr. suddenly suggested. The white haired U.R.T.V. eagerly agreed while Nigredo shrugged…again, Jr., assuming the shrug meant, "Yes" grinned, "Then come on! Last one there has to do everyone's chores for a week!" the blue haired U.R.T.V. got a look of pure disbelief on his face.

            "You don't mean the _whole_ way?! As in run to the city from _here_!" he demanded in surprise. The two others grinned.

            "Of course we do….and there's no way _I'm_ gonna' be last!" Albedo confirmed, then, Albedo and Rubedo quickly took off, leaving Nigredo behind. He slumped his shoulder and sighed.

            "Looks like I got chores…" he grumbled to himself as he sprinted off to the city. Meanwhile, back at the lab, the professor walked out of the library shortly after the three boys hurriedly left the room. He softly shut the door behind him with a sigh and looked up with tired eyes, it seemed the weight of Miltia…no…it was the weight the _universe_ that rested on the professor's shoulders, and the weight of it all made him so tired. And soon…. he had to give that horrible weight to the U.R.T.V.s in a few years. He didn't want to, but he had to. _That _was his purpose of creating them, but…it felt _wrong _to use them like this, he was their creator, and their creator only created them….to fight…to fight that monstrosity _he_ wishes to see, the demon _he _wished study, at the future expense of _billions_, maybe even _trillions_ of lives! He shook his head to get rid of the dark dreary thoughts. It was time to focus on what was happening now, he still had to work out more kinks in the earlier U.R.T.V.s, get all of the boys through their training within 3 years at the most, not to mention keep the three "special cases" in line. He let out another sigh as he entered the lab, oh yes; things were going to be difficult indeed. No use giving up now…..the game had already started, and he was going to win.

            "Oi, Nigredo there you are! We were startin' to think you went back to the lab!" Jr. teased as the noticed the boy walk towards them with his shoulders slumped in exhaustion and sweat bathing his face. His tongue lolled out and his eyes were half lidded as he slowly dragged his feet inch by inch until he stood before the two.

            "Oh shut up.." he grumbled under his breath as he collapsed onto the paved ground. The people amongst them ignored the small group of boys with the odd hair colors and even odder face resemblances. Each one of them too caught up in their own lives, to notice theirs. 

            "So what do you guys wanna' do?" Albedo questioned as he looked around for some sign of fun. The other two shrugged, the red head looked around for some sort of amusement while the blue head just continued to sit on the ground with his shoulders slumped, gasping for breath. 

            "How about we race to-" 

            "NO!" Nigredo loudly cut in to Rubedo's suggestion, "I don't feel like collapsing…_again_ anytime soon, thank you very much!" he snapped. The two others laughed at the scowling boy. 

            "I was only kidding!" Albedo managed to say between laughs.

"Yeah, take it easy! Besides, you need more exercise if that short run tired you out so much!" 

"That's just because you guys run to here everyday! It's not human!" Nigredo defensibly pointed out. The comment only served to make Albedo and Rubedo laugh even louder, the other people still ignoring the three.

"We….We aren't _human, _Bookworm!" Albedo managed to gasp in between his loud laughter. Nigredo just turned his head away from the guffawing pair in an indignant huff, and let out a small growl of annoyance, before something caught his eye……

A/N: Wonder what?  :P Yeah, I kind of breezed passed through years of their lives, and I've decided to make this into the three U.R.T.V.s past. ^_^ Hope you guys like it, please R&R, thanks!   


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